Monday, July 31, 2017

As you probably already know, I love playing with makeup! Creating fun new looks and swatching bold lip colors is what I do in my downtime but if there is one thing that I don't like about the process, it's washing and drying my makeup brushes. However, I've recently discovered a company called The Brush Bar. Based in San Jose, California, the company has created two unique products that have made the brush-washing and drying process so much easier. To read about The Brush Board and The Brush Bar and enter for a chance to win both, click......

The Brush Bar | The Brush Board

The Brush Board ($28 USD):
Let's get real, washing makeup brushes is a huge pain and for the longest time, I washed my brushes by rubbing the bristles against the palm of my hand. It gets the job done but the process is time-consuming and inefficient. It wasn't until I discovered the Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette did my life change for the better. However, this brush board from The Brush Bar is ten times better!
Made of sturdy hard plastic and stored in a velvety travel bag, The Brush Board is a 30cm x 6cm double-sided wash board designed to efficiently clean makeup brushes. As compared to the Real Techniques silicone cleansing palette, The Brush Board is harder and more densely studded to provide a better lather and a deeper cleaning.

The Brush Bar | The Brush Board

To use, simply wet your brushes and the board, squirt some soap (or a brush cleanser) onto your brushes or directly onto the board. Next, gently swirl your brushes back and forth until the bristles are completely cleansed. As you can see, the board features six different patterns, each designed with a specific purpose. For example, the cylinder studs provide a gentle cleansing while the cone studs offer a deeper cleaning by separating the bristles.

The Brush Bar | The Brush Board

The board is fantastic for eyeshadow brushes, lip brushes, eye liner brushes, and smaller face brushes. Because of the narrow width (~5.5cm) of the cleaning surface, however, the board is not great for larger foundation or bronzer brushes. Nevertheless, this is an amazing tool that makes washing your makeup brushes so much more efficient! I'd 100% recommend this for anyone who owns and uses makeup brushes on a regular basis!

The Brush Bar | The Brush Bar

The Brush Bar ($38 USD):
Brushes dry best when kept in a vertical position with the bristles pointing downwards. This allows water to drip to the tip of the bristles, preventing the breakdown of the glue that holds everything together. However, unless you have a nifty homemade contraption, it's tricky to suspend the brushes vertically without bending or distorting the bristles. Therefore, The Brush Bar offers the perfect solution for drying your brushes.

The Brush Bar | The Brush Bar

Made with a sleek matte black plastic, The Brush Bar is a portable drying rack consisting of ten sets of rubber-covered prongs that hold your makeup brushes in place. Because the prongs are collapsible, you can travel and store The Brush Bar without worrying about any damages. To use, simply open the lid and flip the bar upside down to extend all the prongs. Then, shut the lid and rest the bar on the edge of any flat surface in your home (ex. edge of the sink or bath tub).

The Brush Bar | The Brush Bar

There is a strip of stainless steel inside The Brush Bar to counterbalance the weight of your makeup brushes, so the entire setup stays securely in place. The ten sets of prongs come in three sizes: two small, six medium, and two large. Most of my smaller brushes fit perfectly but my larger foundation, blush, and bronzer brushes either easily slip out of won't fit at all. On The Brush Bar website, it says that a packet of mini rubber bands is included to help secure the prongs in place when suspending larger brushes. However, the package I received didn't include any (or it was hidden amongst the packing material which I threw away). Nevertheless, you can always use a small hair band to secure the prongs in place if necessary.

The Brush Bar | The Brush Bar

Overall, the idea of The Brush Bar is really genius! It's simple to use and very well-made. However, the setup only holds ten brushes and it's not very compatible with brushes larger than a standard blush brush. Therefore, if you have a ton of brushes, The Brush Bar may not be for you. However, if you only use and wash a handful of brushes on a regular basis, then The Brush Bar makes the drying process so much easier and faster!

CLOSED: Interested in trying The Brush Board and The Brush Bar? Head on over to my Instagram to enter for a chance to win both! The giveaway is only open to Canada and the US and is valued at ($66 USD):